RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic engendered numerous societal and economic challenges in addition to health-related concerns. Maintenance of healthcare utilization assumed immense significance during this period. However, few studies have examined the association between loneliness and cancelled medical appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine whether medical appointments are less likely to be cancelled with increased loneliness during a pandemic. We analyzed the association between loneliness and both patient- and provider-initiated appointment cancellations. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS) were collected during April 2020-November 2021. The analytical sample included 1,840 participants with an average age of 55.1 years (standard deviation: 6.5, range 45-76 years). Medical appointments cancelled by individuals-medical appointments in general, and GP, specialist, and dentist appointments-and appointments cancelled by healthcare providers served as outcome measures. Loneliness was quantified using a single item ranging from 0 to 10. Accordingly, we created empirical loneliness tertiles. Covariates were selected based on the Andersen model. Several penalized maximum likelihood logistic regressions were utilized to examine the association between loneliness and cancellation of medical appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The penalized maximum likelihood logistic regressions showed that, compared to individuals in the lowest loneliness tertiles, individuals in the other two tertiles reported a higher chance of medical appointments cancellation by individuals, particularly driven by cancelled GP appointments. Except for age and sex, none of the covariates were comparably associated with the outcomes. When appointments cancelled by healthcare providers served as outcomes, only a higher number of chronic conditions was significantly positively associated with it. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals scoring higher in loneliness had a greater chance of cancelling medical (particularly GP) appointments. This may contribute to a potential cascade of loneliness and skipped medical appointments in the future, resulting in adverse health outcomes over the medium-to-long term. Future research should examine whether lonely people are more likely to lack the social motivation to visit the doctor.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Solidão , Pandemias , Estudos Transversais , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de SaúdeRESUMO
Asbestos-related mesotheliomas belong to the group of the most frequent occupational diseases in Germany, reaching about 1,000 new cases per year. The disease has a dismal prognosis because most tumors remain asymptomatic for a long time and therefore are diagnosed as incidental findings at later stages.During the last decade the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) has made considerable efforts to prepone the diagnosis in order to detect the disease at earliest possible stages. These efforts resulted in new findings showing that, in a high-risk group, a combination of the biomarkers calretinin and mesothelin was able to advance the diagnosis up to 12 months.Ideally, the diagnosis of a mesothelioma at an early stage has to be accompanied by the best possible individualized therapy. Standard therapeutic strategies are surgery and chemotherapy, added by radiotherapy and psycho-oncology. In recent years, several new therapeutic avenues are being explored. This review comprehensively presents both old and new therapeutic options in mesothelioma, based on international Leitlinien and new studies.
Assuntos
Amianto , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Mesotelioma Maligno , Mesotelioma , Exposição Ocupacional , Neoplasias Pleurais , Amianto/efeitos adversos , Consenso , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/terapia , Mesotelioma/diagnóstico , Mesotelioma/terapia , Neoplasias Pleurais/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Pleurais/terapiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke has detrimental effects in multiple health domains not captured by routine scales. The International Consortium for Health Outcome Measurement has developed a standardized set for self-reported assessment to overcome this limitation. The aim was to assess this set in acute stroke care. METHODS: Consecutive patients with acute ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack or intracerebral hemorrhage were enrolled. Demographics, living situation and cardiovascular risk factors were collected from medical records and interviews. The Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 10-Question Short Form (PROMIS-10) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) were conducted 90 days after admission. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of outcome. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03795948. RESULTS: In all, 1064 patients were enrolled; mean age was 71.6 years, 51% were female, and median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) on admission was 3. Diagnosis was acute ischaemic stroke in 74%, transient ischaemic attack in 20% and intracerebral hemorrhage in 6%. 673 patients were available for outcome evaluation at 90 days; of these 90 (13%) had died. In survivors, t scores of PROMIS-10 physical and mental health were 40.3 ± 6.17 and 44.3 ± 8.63, compared to 50 ± 10 in healthy populations. 16% reported symptoms indicating depression or anxiety on the PHQ-4. Higher NIHSS, prior stroke and requiring help pre-stroke predicted lower values in physical and mental health scores. Higher NIHSS and diabetes were associated with anxiety or depression. CONCLUSIONS: Integrated in the routine of acute stroke care, systematic assessment of patient-reported outcomes reveals impairments in physical and mental health. Main predictors are severity of stroke symptoms and comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes.
Assuntos
Isquemia Encefálica , Acidente Vascular Cerebral , Idoso , Isquemia Encefálica/complicações , Isquemia Encefálica/epidemiologia , Humanos , Avaliação de Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , Qualidade de Vida , Padrões de Referência , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Psoriasis can lead to high psychosocial burden, and the occurrence of psoriasis is related to psychological distress. OBJECTIVES: This study provides an overview of psychosocial interventions for patients with psoriasis and examines their effects on patient-reported outcomes. METHODS: A systematic search of four electronic databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO) was conducted in January 2017. All trials on psychosocial interventions for patients with psoriasis that used patient-reported outcomes and a comparison group were included. Data were extracted on intervention, study population and outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook. A meta-analysis on quality of life, depression and anxiety was performed. This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42016037934). RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included. Interventions primarily used cognitive behavioural or mindfulness-based techniques. Risk of bias was mostly rated 'unclear' due to nontransparent reporting (e.g. no study protocols were published, only one study reported blinding of patients). Meta-analysis using standardized mean differences between the intervention and control groups showed significant, small-to-medium effects (given with 95% confidence intervals) on quality of life (0·28, 0·04-0·51; six studies, n = 664) and anxiety (0·36, 0·15-0·57; six studies, n = 363). The effect on depression was not significant (0·37, -0·05 to 0·80; five studies, n = 326). CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial interventions offer an effective means to improve quality of life and anxiety in patients with psoriasis. Although the importance of such psychosocial aspects for psoriasis is unquestioned, there is a lack of high-quality evaluation studies. Nontransparent reporting of risk of bias, low power and a lack of replication studies make it difficult to reach confident conclusions from the evidence. What's already known about this topic? Psoriasis symptoms and psychosocial burden reinforce one another. Different psychosocial interventions for patients with psoriasis exist to address this problem. Most studies report positive effects on psoriasis severity, and some also on certain patient-reported outcomes such as quality of life. Only a very few interventions have been subject to rigorous testing. Further research is needed on the evaluation of the effects and the methodological quality of these interventions. What does this study add? This review provides a comprehensive overview of psychosocial interventions for patients with psoriasis. It evaluates the effects of the interventions on patient-reported outcomes and rates the methodological quality of their evaluation studies. It underlines the importance and effectiveness of addressing psychosocial burden in patients with psoriasis by identifying adequate interventions. The results of this study show that further research, especially with adequately tested interventions, is strongly needed.
Assuntos
Medidas de Resultados Relatados pelo Paciente , Psoríase/reabilitação , Intervenção Psicossocial/métodos , Qualidade de Vida , Humanos , Psoríase/psicologia , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Psychological distress is common in cancer patients, and awareness of its indicators is essential. We aimed to assess the prevalence of psychological distress and to identify problems indicative of high distress. METHODS: We used the distress thermometer (DT) and its 34-item problem list to measure psychological distress in 3724 cancer patients (mean age 58 years; 57% women) across major tumor entities, enrolled in an epidemiological multicenter study. To identify distress-related problems, we conducted monothetic analyses. RESULTS: We found high levels of psychological distress (DT ≥ 5) in 52% of patients. The most prevalent problems were fatigue (56%), sleep problems (51%), and problems getting around (47%). Sadness, fatigue, and sleep problems were most strongly associated with the presence of other problems. High distress was present in 81.4% of patients reporting all 3 of these problems (DT M = 6.4). When analyzing only the subset of physical problems, fatigue, problems getting around, and indigestion showed the strongest association with the remaining problems and 76.3% of patients with all 3 problems were highly distressed (DT M = 6.1). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a high prevalence of psychological distress in cancer patients, as well as a set of problems that indicate the likely presence of other problems and high distress and can help clinicians identify distressed patients even if no routine distress screening is available.
Assuntos
Depressão/diagnóstico , Fadiga/diagnóstico , Programas de Rastreamento/métodos , Neoplasias/psicologia , Estresse Psicológico/diagnóstico , Adulto , Idoso , Depressão/epidemiologia , Depressão/psicologia , Emoções , Fadiga/epidemiologia , Fadiga/etiologia , Fadiga/psicologia , Feminino , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias/complicações , Prevalência , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica , Estresse Psicológico/epidemiologia , Estresse Psicológico/etiologia , Estresse Psicológico/psicologiaRESUMO
Individual adaptation at the end of life may be characterised by how patients fluctuate in their orientation towards losses and death or engagement in meaningful activities in daily life. To describe these intraindividual patterns of change, we conducted a daily diary study over 7 days with 17 advanced cancer patients from in- and outpatient oncology and psycho-oncology clinics. Patients reported on the daily frequency of behaviours associated with loss orientation and life engagement using a standardised questionnaire. We characterised each patient's pattern of change with three parameters: the mean level (5-point-scale from 0 = never to 4 = always), mean fluctuation between successive days (MSSD) and the association between changes in loss and life orientation over time. We further explored the relationship between these patterns and free-text diaries. The daily assessment protocol was acceptable and feasible (46% participation rate, 97% diary completion rate). Individuals differed in mean levels of loss orientation (range: M = 0.1 to 2.7) and life engagement (M = 0.9 to 3.9), the degree of fluctuation (MSSD = 0.1 to 1.5 and MSSD = 0.3 to 0.9), and the correlations between these changes over time (r = -.83 to +.46), revealing distinctive intraindividual patterns. Further study of individual profiles in loss and life orientation can promote personalised balancing between facing "reality" and sustaining "hope" in end-of-life conversations.
Assuntos
Adaptação Psicológica , Neoplasias/psicologia , Doente Terminal/psicologia , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Projetos Piloto , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Depressive disorders are associated with a high burden of suffering and significantly reduce the well-being and the self-esteem of affected patients. Psychotherapy is one of the main treatment options for depressive disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to present the current evidence for antidepressive psychotherapeutic treatments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the revision of the German S3- and National Disease Management Guideline (NDMG) on unipolar depression in 2015, a comprehensive and systematic evidence search was conducted. The results of this search along with a systematic update are summarized. RESULTS: The most intensively investigated psychotherapeutic method is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which proved to be effective in many trials. Evidence also exists for psychodynamic psychotherapy and interpersonal therapy (IPT), followed by systemic therapy and client-centered psychotherapy; however, the evidence is less robust. CONCLUSION: Psychotherapy alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy was shown to be an effective treatment option. Psychotherapy represents a key element in the treatment of depressive disorders.
Assuntos
Transtorno Depressivo/terapia , Medicina Baseada em Evidências , Psicoterapia/métodos , Antidepressivos/uso terapêutico , Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental/métodos , Terapia Combinada , Transtorno Depressivo/diagnóstico , Transtorno Depressivo/psicologia , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Seguimentos , Humanos , Relações Interpessoais , Psicoterapia Psicodinâmica/métodos , Qualidade de Vida/psicologia , Autoimagem , Ajustamento SocialRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Psychotherapy has been shown to be an effective treatment option for depressive disorders; however, its effectiveness varies depending on patient and therapist characteristics and the individual form of the depressive disorder. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to present the current evidence for psychotherapeutic antidepressive treatments for patients with chronic and treatment-resistant depression as well as for patients with mental and somatic comorbidities. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the revision of the currently valid German S3- and National Disease Management Guideline (NDMG) on unipolar depression published in 2015, a comprehensive and systematic evidence search including psychotherapy for specific patient groups was conducted. The results of this search along with a systematic update are summarized. RESULTS: Psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms in patients suffering from chronic and treatment-resistant depression and in patients with mental and somatic comorbidities. The evidence is insufficient particularly for patients with mental comorbidities. CONCLUSION: Based on the current evidence and clinical expertise the NDMG recommends psychotherapy alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy to treat most of these depressive patient groups. Evidence gaps were identified, which highlight the need for further research.
Assuntos
Transtorno Depressivo/terapia , Medicina Baseada em Evidências , Psicoterapia/métodos , Doença Crônica , Comorbidade , Transtorno Depressivo/diagnóstico , Transtorno Depressivo/psicologia , Transtorno Depressivo Resistente a Tratamento/diagnóstico , Transtorno Depressivo Resistente a Tratamento/psicologia , Transtorno Depressivo Resistente a Tratamento/terapia , Fidelidade a Diretrizes , Humanos , Transtornos Mentais/diagnóstico , Transtornos Mentais/psicologia , Transtornos Mentais/terapia , Avaliação de Processos e Resultados em Cuidados de SaúdeRESUMO
Mental disorders contribute substantially to the loss of quality of life and life expectancy in old age. Life expectancy is reduced especially by the bidirectional interaction with heart diseases, diabetes mellitus as well as the depression-specific risk of suicide. Depression in old age is a strong risk factor for nursing home placement, which is usually an undesired outcome for older people. Utilization of mental health services is hindered by self-stigmatization and prejudice; however, according to recent surveys older people increasingly value psychotherapeutic services. Shortcomings in the diagnostics and therapy in the primary treatment of old age depression have stimulated research in low-threshold options in primary care and collaborative multiprofessional outpatient interventions in many countries. The core features of collaborative care approaches are improved diagnostics, stepped-care protocols, continuous disease monitoring, and access to psychiatric and psychotherapeutic supervision or services. Collaborative multiprofessional outpatient approaches have been shown to be superior for the treatment of old age depression compared to treatment as usual.
Assuntos
Assistência Ambulatorial/métodos , Comunicação Interdisciplinar , Colaboração Intersetorial , Transtornos Mentais/terapia , Equipe de Assistência ao Paciente , Idoso , Transtorno Depressivo/psicologia , Transtorno Depressivo/terapia , Acessibilidade aos Serviços de Saúde , Humanos , Transtornos Mentais/psicologia , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde/psicologia , Administração dos Cuidados ao Paciente/métodos , Qualidade de Vida/psicologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: In cancer patients, pain is one of the main symptoms and especially in the late stages of disease, these symptoms can be associated with considerable suffering. In psycho-oncology, preliminary psychological therapies targeting cancer pain have been tested; however, a systematic review of available interventions is lacking, especially considering their dissemination, evidence base, study quality, and the comparison with established treatments. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to systematically review the current research on psychological treatments for pain in cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During May 2014, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, and CENTRAL databases were searched. Psychological treatments for pain in adult cancer patients studied in randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) and referring to pain as primary or secondary outcome were included. After examination for inclusion, structured data extraction and assessment followed. Data were synthesized narratively. RESULTS: In the review, 32 RCTs were included. Studies mainly referred to patients with breast cancer or patients in earlier stages of the disease. The methodological quality of included studies was heterogeneous. Most commonly, short interventions were delivered by nurses in out-patient settings. Interventions including education and relaxation techniques were utilized most often, followed by interventions with behavioral or cognitive components. CONCLUSION: A need for research persists regarding efficacy of current psychotherapeutic interventions, or the role of mediator variables (e. g., coping) on pain perception in cancer patients. Studies with high methodological quality which comprehensively and transparently report on interventions and designs are lacking.
Assuntos
Dor do Câncer/psicologia , Dor do Câncer/terapia , Educação de Pacientes como Assunto , Terapia de Relaxamento , Adulto , Assistência Ambulatorial , Terapia Comportamental , Neoplasias da Mama/enfermagem , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Neoplasias da Mama/psicologia , Neoplasias da Mama/terapia , Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental , Terapia Combinada , Feminino , Humanos , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como AssuntoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are frequently not or only insufficiently treated. Internet-based interventions offer the potential of closing the existing gaps in the treatment of mental disorders; however, it is very difficult for patients and providers to choose from the numerous interventions available. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a set of quality criteria that can help patients and care providers to identify recommendable internet-based interventions. METHODS: A selective literature search was carried out and the existing evidence on internet-based interventions in the treatment of mental disorders was collated. A panel of experts then developed quality criteria based on existing models for the systematic assessment of telemedicine applications. RESULTS: Internet-based interventions are effective in the treatment of a broad range of mental disorders. The best evidence is available for depression and anxiety disorders. A set of criteria is proposed for the evaluation of available internet-based interventions using a checklist. These criteria have to be developed further with input from other stakeholders. DISCUSSION: When taking these quality criteria into account, evidence-based interventions available on the internet can make an important contribution to improvement of the care of patients with mental disorders.
Assuntos
Diagnóstico por Computador/métodos , Transtornos Mentais/diagnóstico , Transtornos Mentais/terapia , Autocuidado/métodos , Telemedicina/métodos , Terapia Assistida por Computador/métodos , Medicina Baseada em Evidências , Humanos , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: In Germany live a lot of migrants. Cultural and migration specific aspects seem to have an effect on utilisation of health care. There are no instruments that measure such factors of influence. METHODS: A systematic literature research or article that identify the difficulties of the migrants in using the health care system, was made. The relevant aspects were explored during a health related opinion survey of migrants from former USSR, Turkey, Italy and Spain. The psychometric qualities of this questionnaire were investigated with factor and reliability analyses. RESULTS: There were 24 reasons identified for non-utilisation health care. They were combined in a questionnaire. The factor analysis showed 2-factor structure ("janguage und information related Reasons" Chronbach's α=0.928 and "experience with/attitude toward health care system", Chronbach's α=0.879). Furthermore, there was a total scale with Chronbach's α=0.945. The acceptance was between 80.0 and 96.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm the psychometric quality of this measuring instrument. For further generalisability more verification will be necessary.
Assuntos
Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde/etnologia , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Psicometria/métodos , Revisão da Utilização de Recursos de Saúde/métodos , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Alemanha , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde/psicologia , Psicologia , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: For migrants who are older than 50, alcohol frequently becomes a problem. Simultaneously alcohol-related prevention measures only reach this group insufficiently. Therefore, a transcultural concept for preventing alcohol-related disorders in elderly (≥ 45 years) migrants has been developed. METHOD: The transcultural concept, which consisted of a prevention event as well as a cultural and language-sensitive information booklet, was evaluated in a cluster-randomized controlled trial (n = 310 immigrants). As a control condition there was a prevention event with materials from Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen (German Centre for Addiction Issues). Data were obtained before and after the event, as well as after 6 months. All materials were available both in German and in Russian, Italian, Spanish and Turkish. RESULTS: Directly after the event, as well as 6 months thereafter, the transcultural approach was rated significantly better than the general prevention event. 73.4 % of the participants read the cultural and migration-sensitive booklet, whereas only 21.2 % in the control condition (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, significantly more participants of the transcultural approach reported a reduced alcohol consumption (49.4 vs. 16.7 %; p = 0.004) after 6 months. CONCLUSION: The consideration of diversity with respect to cultural, migration-related, socio demographic und linguistic aspects improves the effectiveness of prevention measures.
Assuntos
Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Álcool/etnologia , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Álcool/prevenção & controle , Cultura , Promoção da Saúde/métodos , Folhetos , Migrantes , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Álcool/diagnóstico , Comparação Transcultural , Feminino , Alemanha/etnologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Tradução , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Although existential needs are highly prevalent in patients with cancer, specific sources of meaning have been little explored. We investigated whether specific sources of meaning predict global meaning and psychological distress. N = 258 patients with breast (45%), lung (39%) and gynaecological cancer (16%) completed a battery of validated questionnaires at T1. Six months later (T2), n = 183 (78%) patients participated again. The primary outcomes - sources of meaning, global meaning and psychosocial distress - were measured with the Sources of Meaning Profile-Revised (SOMP-R), Life Attitude Profile-Revised (LAP-R) and modules for depression and anxiety of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, GAD-7). Most important sources of meaning were 'engaging in personal relationships', 'preserving human values and ideals' and 'feeling financially secure'. Stepwise multivariate regression analyses controlling for demographic and medical factors revealed that 'engaging in personal relationships', 'preservation of culture and tradition' and 'interest in social and/or political causes' predicted lower depression. 'Leaving a legacy for the next generation' and 'feeling financially secure' predicted both higher depression and anxiety. The findings highlight the relevance of sources of meaning for the psychological well-being of cancer patients and point towards specific sources of meaning that should be focused in psychosocial interventions.
Assuntos
Ansiedade/psicologia , Depressão/psicologia , Existencialismo/psicologia , Neoplasias/psicologia , Estresse Psicológico/psicologia , Adaptação Psicológica , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Humanos , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Análise de Regressão , Apoio SocialRESUMO
The provision of high-quality health-services is only possible if it is based on vocational education of corresponding quality. To promote the quality of vocational education in speech therapy, a quality assurance programme was developed in a scientifically supervised multi-step process. The main goals of the quality assurance programme include: (i) external review of the quality of education by means of well-defined criteria, (ii) certification of schools that meet the requirements, and (iii) provision of feedback to schools about their results. A total of 208 quality indicators cover the essential aspects of vocational education in speech therapy, and apply to the structural, process and outcome quality. These indicators are based on a literature survey as well as on expert opinion, and are calibrated by data. The data are collected by using questionnaires (school management, teachers in speech therapy, students, consecutive patient sample) and are validated by specific document analyses and telephone audits. Each school receives an individual quality report of its achieved results benchmarked to other schools. Since the initial implementation in 2008, a total of 50 schools participated in the quality assurance programme and 41 achieved certification. Therefore, the defined set of quality criteria has been disseminated and utilized by about half of all German schools for vocational education in speech therapy. The evaluation of the data on quality collected across all schools highlights the strengths and weaknesses of vocational education as well as the demands for quality improvement.
Assuntos
Certificação/normas , Modelos Organizacionais , Garantia da Qualidade dos Cuidados de Saúde/normas , Fonoterapia/educação , Fonoterapia/normas , Educação Vocacional/normas , Currículo/normas , Avaliação Educacional/normas , AlemanhaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Patients with depression are treated for a relatively long period as inpatients in Germany. A new treatment model with symptom-orientated release management, post-hospitalization treatment and standardized referral to outpatient therapists could be suitable to specifically shorten the hospital stay of patients who have already profited sufficiently from treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a new treatment method (intervention group) with hospitalized depressive patients in comparison to a standard protocol (treatment-as-usual control group) on the length of stay as part of a pragmatic randomized, controlled multicentre study. The evaluation was made using covariance analysis. RESULTS: Of the 202 randomized patients 184 could be included in the analysis. The estimated marginal mean of the length of stay (n = 83) was 57.3 days (range 1-305 days, SE = 3.8) in the intervention group and (n = 101) 57.6 days (range: 6-196 days, SE = 3.5) in the control group. There were no significant statistical differences between the groups (p = 0.966). CONCLUSIONS: An effect of the new treatment model on the inpatient length of hospital stay in depressive patients could not be demonstrated.
Assuntos
Depressão/epidemiologia , Depressão/terapia , Pacientes Internados/estatística & dados numéricos , Tempo de Internação/estatística & dados numéricos , Psicoterapia de Grupo/métodos , Psicoterapia de Grupo/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto , Depressão/psicologia , Feminino , Alemanha/epidemiologia , Humanos , Pacientes Internados/psicologia , Masculino , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Providing mental health care to patients with depressive disorders is accompanied by deficits in the diagnostics and in the access and adequacy of treatment. Analyzing regional variations in mental health care is of increasing importance in order to detect and explain these supply shortfalls. This paper discusses different explanatory approaches to the regional variations in diagnosed depressive disorders and their treatment. Differences in demographic structures and in patients' attitudes toward mental disorders as well as in their preferences in the choice of treatment may explain regional variation. Furthermore, the number and distribution of care providers between regions may have an effect on variation. In addition to the density and availability of care givers, the quality of care may differ because of factors such as sensitivity to the detection of depressive disorders, coding quality of diagnosis and treatment, guideline-oriented treatment, as well as treatment outcome. Small-area analyses should consider all perspectives in order to understand the complexity of regional variation in the provision of health-care services and to derive recommendations for health-care services that meet people's needs.
Assuntos
Serviços de Saúde Comunitária/estatística & dados numéricos , Transtorno Depressivo/epidemiologia , Transtorno Depressivo/terapia , Acessibilidade aos Serviços de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Pesquisa sobre Serviços de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Serviços de Saúde Mental/estatística & dados numéricos , Análise de Pequenas Áreas , Alemanha/epidemiologia , Política de Saúde , Humanos , Prevalência , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Though Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and other treatment models for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have shown to be efficient in inpatient and outpatient settings, there is a general shortage of these treatments. In Germany, most resources are spent on inpatient treatments and unspecific crisis interventions, while it is difficult to implement the necessary team structures in an outpatient setting. This study is testing an alternative approach focussing on outpatient treatment: Integrated Care Borderline (ICB) provides DBT for persons with severe BPD within the structures of an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT). ICB is team-based, integrating psychiatric and social support as well as crisis interventions into a DBT-strategy. METHODS: ICB was compared to TAU in a prospective, randomized controlled trial. This study is part of RECOVER, a comprehensive stepped care approach in Germany, which enrolled a total of 891 participants. 146 persons were diagnosed with BPD as main diagnosis. Of these, 100 were allocated to the highest level of severe mental illness (SMI) and randomly assigned to either ICB (n = 50) or TAU (n = 50). Data were collected at baseline and 12 months later. The main outcomes were psychosocial functioning (GAF), severity of BPD (BSL-23) and other mental symptoms (BSI, PHQ-9, GAD-7, self-harm), employment status (VILI), as well as hospital days and associated costs. RESULTS: Data show a significant increase of psychosocial functioning and a significant decrease of BPD and other psychiatric symptoms in both groups (r = .28 - .64), without any significant differences between the groups. The proportion of self-harming persons decreased in both groups without statistical significance. Patients were significantly more likely to be employed after a year of treatment in ICB (p = .001), but not in the TAU group (p = .454). Analyses showed a significant difference between the groups (p = .032). Moreover, psychiatric hospital days were significantly reduced in ICB (-89%, p < .001, r = .61), but not in TAU (-41%, p = .276, r = .15), resulting in a significant difference between the groups (p = .016) and in lower annual hospital costs in ICB (5,546 vs. 10,726, -48%, p = .011) compared to TAU. CONCLUSION: Our results replicate earlier studies, showing that DBT can be efficient in outpatient settings. Furthermore, they indicate additional effects on employment and hospital days. The ICB-approach seems to offer a viable framework for multiprofessional outpatient DBT-teams. Future research will have to test whether the additional effects are brought about by the additional features of ICB compared to standard outpatient DBT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03459664), RECOVER.
RESUMO
Prostate cancer is the most common carcinoma of elderly males and holds the third place in the ranking of cancer-specific mortality. However, total mortality rate of 3 % is low and half of the patients die from other diseases, which is for the most part due to significantly improved diagnostic methods and the increasing use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. This has led to a stage migration towards early tumor stages that are prognostically heterogeneous and require differentiated treatment. The German and European guidelines recommend four therapy options (i.e. radical prostatectomy, percutaneous irradiation, permanent seed implantation and active surveillance) for localized prostate cancer and from contemporary study data it is unclear which therapy is most beneficial. This will be the subject of the PREFERE trial, a prospective randomized multicentre trial which plans to recruit 7,600 patients and to observe them over a period of up to 17 years. The histopathological diagnosis of the primary biopsy plays a crucial role in the inclusion criteria, as this article outlines in detail.